Crash Jams Traffic on Conejo Grade

A motorist lost control of his vehicle on the Conejo Grade on Monday afternoon and crashed into the center divider, causing two lanes of the Ventura Freeway to be shut down and snarling traffic for two hours.

Muhammad Esmaili of Friendship, Wis., was driving north on the freeway near Camarillo Springs at 1 p.m. when the 26-foot trailer he was towing started to fishtail, said Officer Dave Cockrill of the California Highway Patrol.

When Esmaili applied his brakes, his car skidded across the northbound lanes and hit the center divider, Cockrill said. The trailer broke loose, careened across the freeway and became embedded in the guardrail, he said. No other cars were hit.

CHP officers closed the two outer lanes, forcing traffic to creep through in the remaining lane.

The officers were also called to help an unidentified woman who had gone into labor during the traffic jam.

“There was a doctor on the scene who said the woman could be safely taken to the hospital to deliver the baby,” Cockrill said. “Some of our officers took them to a hospital. I’m sure they were very relieved to have had a doctor nearby.”

All freeway lanes were reopened at 3 p.m.

Esmaili’s wife, Jaleh, complained of bruises from the seat belt, but was otherwise uninjured, Cockrill said. There were no other injuries as a result of the incident.